Improved machine for pricking leather



' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

J. H. WALKER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED MACHINE FORfPRlCKING LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,537, dated February25, 1862.

` the machine. Fig. 2 represents a front view looking in the directionof arrow 1, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line A B, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the main table supported by two'front legsB B and a rear one B.

T o the front of table A is fastened a metallic table C, the formerbeing cut out to receive the leather, as indicated in the drawings, sothat the top surfaces of both tables are flush with each other.

Table O projects out in front, as seen at D, and in addition thereto ithas four guide-projections E E E E', the two-former on top and the twolatter on the bottom, and which guideproj ectionsare formedwithdovetailed grooves a a a a to receive and guide the punching orpricking plates F F whose ends are formed to fit the grooves ct a a a inthe guide-stands E E E E. The upper plate F is provided on its underedge with a series of holes While the lower plate F is provided on itsupper edge with a series of sharp points c, which work up through holesin the table C into the holes h in plate F.

Plate F is held up by a spring G, fastened to the top of table A andconnected to plate F by a link d, while plate F is held down by asimilar spring G', fastened to the under side 0f table A and connectedto plate F by a link e.

A forked leverH is pivoted in a stand I, so that the front ends of itsforks H H will rest on the upper edge of plate F, as indicated in thedrawings, while a similar forked lever J (only shorter) is pivoted atits rear end to the upper end of rod K, so that the front ends of itsforks J J will strike against the lower edge of plate F when elevated,as seen at ff.

The forks of the two levers are connected by rods L L, which are hingedto the forks J J of lever J, and then pass up through holes in table A.mi through holes in the forks H H of lever H, and are provided withscrewthreads to receive nuts g g, whereby the listance of plates F Ffrom each other when at rest can be regu-lated at pleasure, since byunscrewing nuts g g spring G will elevate plate F, while spring G willdepress plate F Table C has combined with it a gage M, which can be adjusted by means of set-screws h h.

rlhe operation is as follows: The operator sets gage M the desireddistance from the pricking-points c and then places the leather inagainst said gage and resting on table O, at the same time placing hisfoot on the front end N of foot-lever O and depresses the same, therebycausing lever O to vibrate downward on its hinge i in the table-leg B',whereby rod K, whose lower end is hingedthereto, is drawn down,togetherwith the rear end of lever J. By this movement of the foot-lever O andforked lever J rods L L are depressed, t0- gether with the forks H H andplate F, on which they press, thus causing the lower edge of plate F torest on and press firmly down the leather on table C, while by the samemovements the front ends of forks J J of leverJ are caused to vibrateupward, thus forcing up plate F', whereby its points c are caused torise up through the holes in table C and pass through the leather whileit is held with a firm and secure grasp between plate F and table C.Upon the removal of the foot from lever O springs G and G withdrawplates F F and the leather is removed, when the edge thereofl will befound all nicely pricked ready for stitching. The under side of table Cis grooved out, as seen at m, so as to permit plate F to pass up by thelower surface of the table, whereby the awls or pricks c can be madequite short, and therefore less liable to break.

By the use of this machine any ordinary Workman can prick the holes,after which the scams can be stitched by similar workmen, thus renderingthe work when finished as neat as if done by the most skillful workmen,as such work has heretofore been accomplished, and far superior to thesame kind of work done by the old modes.

The machine is simple in construction, and all of the movements, both tohold the leather and prick the same, are eifected by a simple downwardmovement of the foot-lever -O.

ing-plate above and a pricking-plate below, with mechanism so combinedwith said plates that leather placed on the table and under theholding-plate can be held by the upper plate While it is pricked by thepoints or aWls in the lower plate by simply depressingafootlever,vsubstantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

" J. I-I. WALKER. In presence of- W. W. RICE, S. L. NELSON.

